It had been nearly three decades since a Kansas City hockey team made it to a championship series since the sub-.500 Kansas City Blades’ miraculous run to the IHL championship series in 1995. Those miserable years of hockey in Kansas City came to an end with the Kansas City Mavericks’ remarkable run in 2023-24.
The Mavericks put together one of the best seasons in Kansas City hockey history in 2023-24. They had 54 wins, 12 losses, 4 overtime losses and 2 shootout losses to earn their first-ever Brahman Cup as ECHL’s best regular season record before falling in the Kelly Cup Finals.
The Mavericks’ 54 wins were most in Kansas City hockey history since the Blades won 56 in their 1991-92 championship season. The Mavericks also set an ECHL record with 29 road wins.
The momentum kept building into the playoffs as they swept the Tulsa Oilers 4-0 before beating the Idaho Steelheads 4-1 in the Conference Semifinals. For the first time in franchise history, the Mavericks advanced to the championship series after a 4-2 series win over the Toledo Walleye.
In the Kelly Cup, the Mavs were no match for the Florida Everblades. The back-to-back champions ran away with Game 1, taking the early edge with a 6-1 score. The Mavs got Game 2 back with a 5-1 victory.
That was the only answer the Mavericks had in store. ECHL’s best road team could not win any of the three road games of the series, as Florida clinched its third straight ECHL championship with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 5.
Head coach Tad O’Had led the way in a history-making season for the Mavericks; his fourth season as Mavs head coach. He guided the Mavericks to the playoffs for two straight seasons for the first time since entering the league in 2014.
Patrick Curry was among the best in the league on the ice. He was named to the All-ECHL First Team and finished second in MVP voting. In his first season as a Maverick, Curry tallied 39 goals and 48 assists.
The Mavericks will reset over the offseason and hope to follow a similar trajectory as the 2014 Kansas City Royals: end a nearly three-decade-long streak before winning it all the following year.
Kansas City Sports Magazine 